Digital leader set to exit NHS England

Tim Kelsey, the National Director for Patients and Information at NHS England, will be leaving his role at the end of December to work for Telstra Health in Australia. There he will run the development of “new digital and mobile solutions for patients, professionals and citizens” globally.

Since Kelsey started working for the national health service in 2012, he has spearheaded its work on data and technology and has been a key figure behind the care.data programme.

Digitally-enabled NHS

Kelsey, who advocates that data and technology are needed to enable people to have more control over their healthcare, said of his departure:

“It has been an enormous privilege to work with such talented and committed colleagues at NHS England and across the wider health and care service. Together we have made the case for a digitally-enabled NHS in which patients are encouraged to participate. Over the last three years we have made significant progress on turning that aspiration into reality.

“Our NHS must support patients, citizens and those who serve them with much better access to the information revolution that has transformed so much of the rest of our lives. This is a human imperative: to put data and technology to work to empower people to take control, when they want to and shape the carethey need.”

The next chapter

Kelsey revealed that his decision to leave NHS England has been one of the hardest he has ever made, but he is now going to follow his ambition to “develop next generation digital services for patients and professionals”, which he hopes will help people take more control of their own health and care.

The chief executive of NHS England, Simon Stevens, has praised Kelsey for his work in developing technology-based health services at NHS England and has wished him luck in the next stage of his career.

“Over the past three years Tim has brought his infectious energy and creative expertise to the vital drive for open, transparent and technology-enabled health services,” said Stevens.

“It’s no surprise that other countries now want to emulate that success, so as the NHS moves into the implementation phase of the strategy Tim has helped craft, we wish him every success as he shifts gear to working in Australia and internationally.”